Simultaneous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, bacteria,and fungi in indoor air of hospital: a study on Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord,Iran

The novel SARS-CoV-2 outbreak was declared as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Understanding the airborne route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is essential for infection prevention and control. In this study, a total of 107 indoor air samples (45 SARS-CoV-2, 62 bacteria, and fungi) were collected from different wards of the Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran. Simultaneously, bacterial and fungal samples were also collected from the ambient air of hospital yard. Overall, 6 positive air samples were detected in the infectious 1 and infectious 2 wards, intensive care unit (ICU), computed tomography (CT) scan, respiratory patients’ clinic, and personal protective equipment (PPE) room. Also, airborne bacteria and fungi were simultaneously detected in the various wards of the hospital with concentrations ranging from 14 to 106 CFU m^?3 and 18 to 141 CFU m^?3, respectively. The highest mean concentrations of bacteria and fungi were observed in respiratory patients’ clinics and ICU wards, respectively. Significant correlation (p < 0.05) was found between airborne bacterial concentration and the presence of SARS-CoV-2, while no significant correlation was found between fungi concentration and the virus presence. This study provided an additional evidence about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the indoor air of a hospital that admitted COVID-19 patients. Moreover, it was revealed that the monitoring of microbial quality of indoor air in such hospitals is very important, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, for controlling the nosocomial infections.

     

Assessing GHG mitigation goals of INDCs (NDCs) considering socio-economic and environmental indicators of the parties

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Cities can be severely affected by climate change. Hence, many of them have started to develop climate adaptation strategies or implement...     

Ammonium removal from landfill fresh leachate using zeolite as adsorbent

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this study, the effect of natural zeolite on the ammonium ion removal from landfill fresh leachate (LFL) was investigated. The effect of...     

Pollution,human health risk assessment and spatial distribution of toxic metals in urban soil of Yazd City,Iran

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Heavy metal pollution significantly reduces the quality of the environment and threatens human health, especially in industrial cities. This study...     

Degradation of a Terephthalate-containing Polyester by a Thermophilic Microbial Consortium

Biomax^® is an aliphatic-aromatic polyester. The biodegradability of Biomax^® was studied at 58 °C using a laboratory scale bioreactor. The bioreactor was inoculated with bacteria derived from compost and supplemented with powdered Biomax^® and an additional energy source. After a period of acclimation, the microorganisms in the bioreactor were capable of metabolizing the major components of the polymer, i.e., TPA and ethylene glycol. TPA and ethylene glycol were detected in the bioreactor only when they were added. Degradation and disintegration of the powdered Biomax^® was monitored by laser diffraction. The particle size distribution of the powdered polymer progressively shifted toward smaller sizes until the diameters of the polymer particles were indistinguishable from bacteria. The types of microbes in the bioreactor were determined by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences. The bacteria belonged to 35 different groups, and the majority of the bacteria appeared to represent new species.     

Assessment of anticipated performance index of some deciduous plant species under dust air pollution

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Green vegetation improvement is an economical strategy to mitigate dust air pollution. The anticipated performance index (API) is considered a main...     

Soil phosphorus forms and their variations in selected paddy soils of Iran

Fractionation of soil phosphorus (P) can provide useful information for assessing the risk of soil P as the potential sources of eutrophication in aquatic systems. Little information exists on P forms in paddy soils of Isfahan Province in central Iran, where P fertilizers have been continuously applied for at least 45 years. The objectives of this study were to investigate concentrations and proportions of P forms in paddy soils and correlate the content of P forms with basic soil properties. Soil samples from three paddy sites were obtained, and soil P forms were determined by a modified Hedley fraction method. Results show that the total P concentrations ranged from 288 to 850 mg kg^?1 and were enriched in site 1. In all sites, the rank order of P fractions was HCl-P (CARB-P)?>?residual-P (RES-P)?>?NaOH-P (Fe-Al-P)?>?KCl-P (EXCH-P), indicating that Ca compounds are the main soil components contributing to P retention in these calcareous paddy soils. The EXCH-P represented on average?<?1 % of the total P, while the Fe-Al-P ranged 3.3–18 %. The CARB-P showed considerable contribution (63.6–85.6 %) to the total P. The Pearson correlation matrix indicated that Fe-Al-P only was positively correlated with total P, but did not show any significant correlations with other soil geochemical properties. Calcium-bound P fraction was significantly correlated with the clay, silt, cation exchange capacity, and total P.     

Removal of toxic heavy metal ions from waste water by functionalized magnetic core–zeolitic shell nanocomposites as adsorbents

Functionalized magnetic core–zeolitic shell nanocomposites were prepared via hydrothermal and precipitation methods. The products were characterized by vibrating sample magnetometer, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The growth of mordenite nanocrystals on the outer surface of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles at the presence of organic templates was well approved. The removal performance and the selectivity of mixed metal ions (Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺) in aqueous solution were investigated via the sorption process. The batch method was employed to study the sorption kinetic, sorption isotherms, and pH effect. The removal mechanism of metal ions was done by chem–phys sorption and ion exchange processes through the zeolitic channels and pores. The experimental data were well fitted by the appropriate kinetic models. The sorption rate and sorption capacity of metal ions could be significantly improved by optimizing the parameter values.